


So Close I Can Taste It

by TheWritingGiant



Category: Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Olympics, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:47:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29683491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWritingGiant/pseuds/TheWritingGiant
Summary: Some people train for a lifetime for the chance to represent their country at the Olympic Games. To win a gold medal, to bring pride to their nation, their city, their home. But the quest for glory isn't the only journey some athletes find themselves on while on the worlds highest sporting stages. When two Chicago based Olympians meet on the path to the games, what will happen? Will the Olympic flame help spark embers of love? Or are they destined to crash and burn?
Relationships: Ava Bekker/Connor Rhodes (Chicago Med), Hailey Upton & Stella Kidd, Jay Halstead & Hailey Upton, Jay Halstead/Hailey Upton, Kevin Atwater & Hailey Upton, Kevin Atwater & Kim Burgess & Jay Halstead & Adam Ruzek & Hailey Upton
Comments: 22
Kudos: 56





	1. Day -100

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! How's everyone holding up on our first CPD less night of this break? Welcome to the new story! I love Upstead, I love sports, I love the Olympics, welcome to the result of that love.

Jay Halstead got out of his Uber and stretched. After nearly fifteen hours of travel from Medellín, Colombia, to San Diego, it felt good to move around even just a little. Grabbing his bags out of the trunk, he waved to his driver and walked into the Olympic training facility in Chula Vista. He couldn't believe that he was really here, that he'd actually made it. Jay had been one of the athletes chosen to help launch Team USA's kit for the upcoming Summer Olympic Games. He was an Olympian, or rather he would be in a hundred days. It was mind-blowing. He shook himself out of his daze and followed the signs into the building, directing him on where he needed to go. He was already a bit behind schedule and didn't want to be the one responsible for holding things up.

The receptionist smiled at him as he check-in, and they made small talk as she walked him back to the large gymnasium that had been transformed into the set for the photoshoot that day. "Jay Halstead?" 

He looked over his shoulder and saw a pretty, petite brunette. "Yeah," he grinned at the woman. "That's me."

"Gabby Dawson," she held out a hand to greet him. "I'm the photographer for this event. Have you been told where to go?"

"No," Jay answered. "I'm a little late, my flight was delayed, and the receptionist wasn't sure where you wanted me."

"Meeting room eight," Gabby responded, looking at her phone. "Go out that door and hang a left. It's the one at the end of the hall. You're looking for Leslie Shay. She's got your uniform and everything all ready for you."

"Got it," he nodded. "Out the door, left, Leslie Shay, thanks."

"You're in group C," she explained. "So it's you, a para basketball player, a cyclist, a runner and a diver. Until the sport-specific shots, you guys will probably be together all-day, so try to make friends. It's gonna be a long one."

"Sounds great," he re-settled his bag over his shoulder. "I'll see you back out here later."

"Yes, you will," Gabby smiled.

He waved and left the gym, following the photographer's directions to the meeting room/changing room that would be his base for the day.

"Who are you?" a voice asked as soon as Jay entered the room. He looked up to see a striking blonde woman leaning over a large box. Her deep blue eyes glaring at him and a frown etched on her face; it was pretty intimidating.

"Uh, Jay Halstead," he scratched at the back of his neck. "I'm looking for Leslie Shay?"

"Oh good, you're finally here," the woman, Leslie, he assumed, turned to a rack by the wall.

"Sorry I'm a little late," he explained. "The plane was delayed a bit out of Miami." 

"Take these," Leslie shoved a garment bag into his hands like he hadn't spoken. "Go behind that curtain there, get changed, leave your stuff in here and then head to the gym. Let me know if anything doesn't fit; I've got different sizes in the box."

"Got it."

The woman left the room without another word, so Jay made his way through the curtain into the makeshift change room. As he pulled off his shirt, a voice rang out from the other curtain beside him. "She's kinda intense, huh?"

It was a woman's voice, one of the other athletes in his group, he guessed. "Just a bit," he laughed. "Though trying keep things running smoothly at a think like this, with a bunch high energy athletes, and travel delays, and whatever else, probably not an easy task. I'm sure we can let her off the hook for that."

"Ain't that the truth," the woman responded. "I only just got here myself. There's a huge storm on the east coast; it delayed my flight from New York."

"Yeah, it screwed me coming out of Miami," Jay pulled his new shirt over his head. It was a driFIT polo with a blade collar, in two block colours, red heather on the top and heather dark blue heather from the chest down. The familiar stars and stripes sat on the right sleeve while his name and country stretched across his shoulders. The shorts were pretty standard in dark grey, also driFIT, all tied together with navy running shoes. He liked it. It looked smart. He lifted his hands above his head, then stretched them back to touch his shoulder blades together, testing the range of motion. Bringing his right hand up to his jawline, Jay checked to see if the collar would get in the way of anything, happy when it didn't even dig into his neck as other shirts did.

"How you looking in there?" the woman's voice asked.

"Not too shabby," Jay undid the top button on the collar stepped out. "But I'm sure I got off easy overall. Could you imagine being a swimmer at this thing? Wearing next to nothing all day. Talk about torture."

"Tell me about it," the woman stepped out of her corral, and Jay fought to keep his jaw off the floor. 

She was in a bathing suit, navy blue, with a red and white splash pattern and thin red straps. It popped against her tanned skin and blonde hair.

"Umm..."

"I mean, I'm a diver, not a swimmer, but the result's pretty much the same," the woman shrugged and held out a hand. "I'm Hailey."

"Jay," he took her offered hand, his brain slowly coming back online. "Sorry about that. Bad joke, I guess."

"You're not wrong," Hailey dismissed with a wave. "At least I'm not one of the guys; out there is basically a pair of underwear all day."

"Well, you look great," it was out of his mouth before he could think it through. A look of surprise flashed across Hailey's face, and Jay pinched the bridge of his nose, looking down in embarrassment. "I just mean…"

"Thanks," she cut him off with a smile. "You don't look so bad yourself, you a golfer?"

"Archer," Jay corrected. 

"Cool," Hailey grinned at him. "Do you know who else we're grouped with?"

"Not their names, no," he shook his head. "The photographer, Gabby, said it was us, a para-athlete, track runner and a cyclist."

Leslie poked her head back in the room. "Good, you two are ready. Everything fit?" They nodded. "Hailey, there's a robe for you on the back of the door, so you don't freeze. Come on; makeup's waiting."

Jay couldn't fight the wrinkle of distaste at the word makeup. Hailey laughed at him. "Come on. It won't be that bad." 

"I'm just not a huge people poking at my face," he shrugged. He left out how he nearly threw himself backwards out of the chair when a makeup artist startled him at a photoshoot for one of his sponsors the year before. She'd taken him by surprise when putting some concealer under his eyes. Definitely not a story to tell someone he'd just met.

"Awww," Hailey teased and grabbed her robe. "Need someone to hold your hand?"

Jay laughed and shook her head. "Think I'll be fine, thanks."

And he was. Makeup went fine, mostly because he didn't turn his face into someone about to poke him in the eye. And the whole time, he talked with Hailey. "So I know how I got here," he said as he waited for her to finish up. When word came in that they needed an archer, none of the team had wanted to do it so close to the end of an event, so they drew straws, and Jay got the short one. "How about you? Top choice, volunteer?"

"Lost the dice roll," the blonde shrugged as the makeup artist put some moisturizer on her lips and sent them on their way.

"You'll each find some tape with your names on it on the stage. When you find it, stay there, and we'll tell you how we want you to pose," one of Gabby's assistants directed then as they got to the stage. They spread out. Jay found his name at the far right corner and stood with his hands behind his back, waiting. Hailey was a few feet to his left and slightly behind him, on a little podium. The whole group traded laughs and stories about their sports' highs and lows as Gabby directed them into various poses. She had to keep reminding them not to smile, though they had her cracking up too. Some athletes lived for this kind of stuff, the press and notoriety, but not Jay, and not anyone in his group, it seemed. Together they went through wide group shots up on the stage and had a contest to see who would break the least during the individuals while everyone else stood behind Gabby, pulling faces to make them laugh. This was the kind of thing he lived for, the camaraderie; none of them competed in the same sport; none of them had even met each other before that day. Still, there they were, laughing and having a good time together because different as they were, they understood each other. Understood each other's drive and sacrifice, the pride they all felt to be up on that stage, and the even greater pride they'd all feel in a hundred days.

"Alright, guys," Gabby said what felt like hours later, though really it was barely one. "This looks great. Go take a load off, grab some lunch. We're gonna start moving out to the sports specific shots in a few. Might be a while, so just hang tight, okay?"

Jay grabbed Hailey's robe for her as she stepped away from the backdrop. It was warm under the lights, of course, but he knew from experience that the AC would be cranked through the rest of the facility; the archery team trained there at least once a year. "Thanks," she smiled as he held it open for her. "I'm starving. How about you?"

"So hungry," Jay shook his head. "I haven't eaten since before I left Colombia."

"Can you wait for me to get into some sweats?" Hailey asked. "I want to hear more about this epic food fight."

"Sure," he smiled. They'd been swapping stories about antics at training camps and competitions. Hailey had been telling him about the time she and her synchro partner had tapped the outside of the boy's doors so that when the first one walked out, they'd get trapped in a sticky web. In turn, Jay had launched into a story about how a tipped over glass had turned into a cafeteria wide food fight. One that ended with a carafe of juice being dumped over their head coach, Maggie Lockwood's head, a day of the worst cardio session any of them had ever had as punishment, and the US archery team's official expulsion from a training facility in Mexico City.

Hailey changed quickly, pulling a pair of track pants and a hoodie on over her suit, and they headed out to the cafeteria a few buildings over. "So you were coming in from Miami?"

"Well, Medellín," Jay clarified. "Miami was just a stopover. I didn't even have to get off the plane. We just finished up the second stage of our World Cup. It's part of why no one wanted to come here, y'know, they just wanted to get home, see their families, relax before the next one. What about you? Said you were coming in from New York, right?"

"Also coming from a competition," Hailey pulled her hair out of her hood. "Diving World Series in Montreal, couldn't get a direct flight."

"How'd you do?" 

"Individual Silver, Synchro bronze and mixed fourth," she answered. "But mixed isn't an Olympic event yet, so we haven't focused on it as much. And I only started diving with Darren a few months ago, so it's an encouraging start. How about you?"

"Bronze," he nodded. "All three events."

"Nice," she smiled as they picked up their trays and plates. "What are you thinking of getting?"

He looked around at the options, pizza, burgers, soups and salads, pasta, lots of choices. Truthfully he wanted to gorge on all of it. Travel always made him super hungry, but he decided to behave and grabbed a chicken Caesar wrap and a fruit yoghurt parfait. Hailey got herself a bowl of Pasta e Fagioli soup and a salad.

As they made their way to an open table, Jay was debating asking if Hailey wanted to grab dinner with him later that night. He really liked talking with her, there was an ease about it, and he knew a great restaurant by the beach about a half-hour away from the facility. "Hey, can you excuse me a second?" Hailey asked, looking across the cafeteria. "I see someone I need to say hi to."

"Sure," Jay nodded. "I'll guard your food."

"Thanks," the blonde smiled and took off across the room.

Jay watched as Hailey launched herself onto the back of a very tall, _very broad_ man and wrapped her limbs around him in a tight squeeze. The man's booming laugh echoed across the dining hall as he got her off of him and pulled her into a tight hug. Jay watched as the man swayed them back and forth, his head coming down to be level with her's as Hailey got up on her tiptoes. Jay turned his attention to his food, all thoughts of asking the diver to dinner scrapped at once. Of course, she had a boyfriend. Hailey was funny, easy-going, confident and attractive; it was naive of him to think she was single, not that he was really looking for a relationship. He just liked talking to her.

Hailey tugged the large man over to their table by his hand. "Jay, this is Kevin Atwater," she wound her arms around the man's waist again. "He's on the rugby sevens team."

Well, that explained the height and build. Jay smiled up at them and hoped it didn't look as forced as it was. "Hey man," he nodded to Kevin. "Nice to meet you."

"You too, bro, you too," Kevin offered him a fist bump, then grinned down at Hailey. "You been keeping my girl company today, huh?"

Yup, they were definitely together. "Yeah, we're in the same group," he shrugged, hoping to dismiss any potential jealousy from the man. He did not want to have a rugby player angry at him for flirting with his girlfriend. But Kevin had a genuine smile on his face, not threatened at all by the archer. Though, why should he be? Objectively Kevin was a handsome man. With how Hailey had wrapped herself around him, how she smiled up at him and how he looked back at her, he clearly had nothing to worry about. 

"That's great, but speaking of groups," Kevin looked over his boulder of a shoulder where another one of Gabby's assistants was speaking to the athletes there. "Looks like we're heading out. See you later, though?" he directed at Hailey.

"Can't wait," the blonde beamed, and Kevin dropped a kiss to the top of her head as she gave him an extra squeeze.

Hailey walked with Kevin to the door, and Jay tucked into his meal. She was back a minute later, a broad smile on her face as she took a bite of her soup.

"So, tell me more about this food fight?" Hailey asked, getting their conversation back on track. "Are we talking spaghetti clinging to the walls or what?"

Jay shook his head and continued with his story. He might have been too little too late when it came to asking Hailey out, but it wasn't a total wash either. After all, there was nothing wrong with having a friendly face when you were about to take on one of the worlds biggest sporting events.


	2. Day - 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, welcome to chapter 2! I am trying to get this story on a twice a week schedule. I'm thinking from here on out, Wednesdays and Saturdays but we'll see. Enjoy!

Hailey strolled through LAX, decked out in sweats and a hoodie in a deep shade of red. Her Team USA travel gear. She was a part of Team USA; it still didn't feel real. She doubled checked her backpack to make sure she had a pair of shorts to change into on the flight. While their travel uniform was great for the fall crispness that had taken hold of Chicago the last few days, planes got warm. Especially when you were going to be on them for more than eighteen hours, and it would be only warmer still when they touched down in Australia. Like the Sydney Games years before, the IOC had elected to start the Brisbane Olympics in Mid-September instead of the usual July or August. An attempt at a compromise between the opposite seasons of the northern and southern hemispheres. But all of that was still a couple of weeks off. For Hailey and her teammates, the next several days were all about training camp in Gold Coast. The final stage of preparation before athletes had to sink or swim on the Olympic stage.

Everyone on the diving squad was responsible for getting to Los Angeles themselves before flying out from there together. And judging by all people she passed wearing the same tracksuit as her, the diving team wasn't the only one who made that call. As she drew closer to her gate, Hailey caught sight of the familiar red hair of Will Halstead, their team doctor. He was deep in conversation with someone also wearing an identical hoodie to her own. She couldn't tell who it was, their back was to her, and they had their hood pulled up, but she could tell it was a man. Whoever it was, he was too tall to be Darren Ritter, or Ethan Choi, two of her fellow springboard divers. Maybe it was Jimmy or Peter, the two platform divers. They were both coming off injuries had become a bit paranoid about the long flight messing with their recovery. She made her way over, intending to say a quick hi before settling into the chairs and wait to board when Will's warm brown eyes caught sight of her. He waved her over, a broad smile on his face. "Hey, Will," she greeted with a smile of her own for the man.

"Hailey, I got someone I want you to meet," Will pointed to the man in front of him. "This is my little brother, Jay."

The other man turned his head to look at her, and Hailey's smile grew wider as she caught sight of a familiar freckled face. It was the same Jay she'd met at the kit launch all those months before. "Hi again."

"Hey," he grinned at her. "Nice to see you again, Hailey."

"Same here," she nodded, feeling a little stupid. She had known that Will had a brother and that said brother was an archer. But, to her memory, Will had never once mentioned his name, and at the photo shoot, she and Jay never exchanged surnames. It hadn't even occurred to her to ask. Unlike Hailey and her own brothers, who shared the same blonde hair, blue eyes, and dimpled cheeks, the Halstead brothers just didn't look all that much alike. A little, _maybe_ , in the smile, but Hailey would never have guessed they were related if she ran into them on the streets. "You heading out to training camp too?"

"Yup," Jay tucked his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt. "Some facility in Gold Coast."

"How awesome is this," Will cut in excitedly and wrapped his arm across his brother's shoulder. "The archery and diving team are training at the same place. I might not get to see you much at the Games, but I should be able to catch a couple of practices."

Hailey shook her head. The red-headed Halstead was like an over-excited puppy sometimes, but she also knew he was probably trying his best not to be bummed out. Will was likely to have a whole lot of free time during the Games. While she wasn't sure what the archery schedule was like, theirs was packed. Diving had eight events on the program, starting on the first day and ending on the last as team doctor Will had to attend all of those events: the prelims, the semis and the finals. He was also expected to be at their practices and training sessions. And be on-call for the times in between, just in case something came up. It was a more than demanding job, but the man never complained once. Hailey just hoped he'd be able to get some time away to watch his brother. 

"Hey, Doctor Halstead," all three looked over to the voice, and Hailey saw Darren Ritter standing just behind them. He looked a little green around the gills; she wasn't surprised. Despite how often they travelled, the young diver was not a fan of flying. In fact, he was terrified of it. The last time Hailey was his seatmate, he had squeezed her hand so tight on the landing at she had nail marks on her skin for two days. Now, Ritter had Will give him a shot of anti-nausea meds and a sleep aid before they even boarded their various flights. 

"Duty calls," Will grabbed his medical bag off the floor and led Ritter away with a hand on the shoulder and whispered reassuring words.

"So, how have you been, Jay?" Hailey asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Pretty good," the archer replied. "Busy. We just wrapped up our World Championships two weeks ago. But it's kind of nice to be going into this without much downtime, y'know? I guess the late start has messed with a few sports usual schedules. A few of the other athletes I've talked to today feel like they're coming into the Games cold."

"Diving's one of them," she nodded. "Our last competition was at the end of July, and usually, we wouldn't even be back at it for another couple of weeks. But it's been non-stop training since then. My coach, Hank Voight," she pointed to a stern-looking man a little ways away. "He was able to organize some small kicks and giggles matchups with a few other dive clubs. But, overall, it's pretty much been all work and no play. It's been a little frustrating."

"That sucks," Jay frowned in sympathy. Athletes trained to compete. When you went a long stretch without one, that when doubt and fear could creep in. "So you got anyone coming with you to this thing?" He changed the topic. "Share in the Olympic experience and all that?" 

"Nope," Hailey shook her head. "I tried to persuade Kevin to let his little brother and sister tag along, but they're still in school. I wanted to talk with their teachers, get the work they'd be missing and bring it with them, but he was pretty adamant they stay home. His Aunty came up from Texas to watch them."

She hated leaving Vinessa and Jordan behind on her way to O'Hare that morning, hated that they weren't going to be there to watch her and Kevin, but her best friend had been firm. And stubborn. Their education was more important than attending a sporting event, even if it was the Olympic Games. And she also understood it. His aunt made the trip to Chicago just fine, but she wouldn't have been able to tolerate the long flight to Australia. With her and Kevin both busy with training and competing, there would be no one around to watch the two Atwater siblings. Hailey shook herself out of her thoughts and turned back to Jay. "So we both but our tickets back into the pool. Better to let them go to someone else who's family could swing the time off, right? What about you? You got anyone coming?"

"Just Will," Jay looked at his feet, and Hailey felt her stomach drop out. How could she have forgotten? Will made no secret that his parents were both gone; his mother had passed long before she ever met the doctor, back when he was still in med school. And then, just a couple of years before, Will had to miss a World Series event because his father had passed away. The team sent flowers, and he returned to them a few weeks later with big hugs and lots of love. They shared a look, it was clear from Jay's sea-green eyes that he knew she knew, but she could also see that he didn't want to get into it, and she respected that. Besides, she didn't feel much like talking about why her parents weren't there; she would be hypocritical to press him.

"So," It was her turn to switch it up. "Where are you sitting on the is beast of a plane?" 

Their transport to Australia was one of those two-level behemoths that somehow was still able to get airborne. She knew most of them were down on the economy level while the basketball pros and their staff filled up the top floor first and business seats. 

"Uh," he pulled out his ticket to check and frowned. "Fourteen b. I swapped with someone, so I could sit next to Will. But I think I'm going to regret that decision after an eighteen-hour flight."

Hailey winced in sympathy. While Jay was shorter than his older brother, he was broader; the middle seat on a long haul flight would probably not be too comfortable for him. She held up her own ticket. "I'm fourteen c; it's the aisle. We can swap if you want? You'll still be with Will, just with a little more space, and I'll break out the noise-cancelling headphones so I don't interrupt your brotherly bonding."

"You don't have to do that," Jay smiled softly at her offer. "Come on, you know, my brother. He's such a blabbermouth anyways; it's pointless to try and keep anything private."

They laughed, and Hailey looked over her shoulder to where the redhead talked animatedly with Sylvie Brett, another one of the platform divers. Jay wasn't totally wrong. "Think of it as a buffer than," she held the ticket out. "I mean, I can't have you killing our team doctor. We might need him."

"You sure?" he checked again. "Middle seats suck."

"Yeah, but I'm small," the blonde shrugged. "I can handle it."

"Thanks."

The trio walked onto the plane together and took in the sea of red sweaters before settling into their seats. It was an uneventful takeoff, but it was anything but quiet. The cabin was full of the sounds of chatter and laughter, including Hailey's own. She sat between the Halstead brothers, holding her sides as they regaled her with tales from their childhood.

"I'm telling you, Hailey," Will insisted. "There were only two things my brother was going to grow up to be: an archer or one of those wannabe superhero vigilantes who roamed the streets in Halloween costumes." 

The elder Halstead had been telling her about Jay's Robin Hood phase when he was a kid. They had watched the Disney movie as a family one night, and Jay had become obsessed with the whole idea. Then their father had come home from work a few days later with a little plastic bow and arrow set from the dollar store, and it only fuelled the obsession further. "He carried that thing around for a year! Refused to wear any shirt that wasn't green. _Drove our parents nuts_."

"I was five!"

"You took the thing to kindergarten and cried when Sister Mary-Louise confiscated it," Will shot back.

"Oh yeah?" Jay shot back as Hailey doubled over with laughter. "How about we talk about your first foray into giving someone medical attention."

"We don't need to get into that," the redhead waved away.

"Oh yes, we do," Hailey pushed Will's hand down and looked up at Jay, her face flush with laughter. "Spill it, Halstead."

"So, I was seven." 

"Did you still carry around the bow?" she cut in.

"Hilarious," he poked her side, and she squirmed away. "Anyway, I was seven, and Will was nine. Mom and Dad had gone to visit a neighbour for a couple of hours. But it was just down the street, so they felt like it was okay to leave Will and me alone."

"That was a mistake," Hailey predicted.

"Oh, completely. I set up this jump and took my bike off it, and well, there's a reason I'm not going to the Olympics for BMX," he laughed. "I crashed. Hard. Slide the entire length of our gravel driveway; we're talking cuts and blood _everywhere_. So I went inside to get my smart, caring, future doctor, big brother's help. Well, Will takes one look at me. _Pukes_. Then passes out. I had to walk down the street and get our parents. I swear, I've never seen a group of adults move so fast in my life."

Hailey let out a belly laugh as Jay shook beside her. "You looked like an extra out of a horror or something," Will defended. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Not lose your lunch all over mom's rug?"

They went on in kinda while longer before Will decided he would try and get some sleep. Jay and Hailey pulled up the airline's entertainment app on her tablet and found something to watch together. They laughed through a couple of old episodes of _Friends_. Then Hailey put on _Arrow_ , slapping Jay's hands away when he tried to change it and doing her best not to laugh when he cringed at some of the archery scenes. From there, they switched over to movies. They made it through _Princess Bride_ and _Jurassic Park_ before Hailey felt her eyes growing tired halfway through _Black Widow_. Before she knew it, she lost the battle with her drooping eyelids, and her head slumped onto Jay's shoulder, and she let his piney scent and rhythm of his breaths lull her into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. For the record, Arrow isn't that bad when it comes to some of their archery scenes, but they definitely have a few that make me bite my tongue. There is way worse out there, though.


	3. Day -11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, hope y'all are doing alright. One more week then we get our show back, hopefully this update will help the time pass a little faster. Enjoy!

Jay sighed as he stretched his arms above his head, relishing in the cracks and pops in his shoulders and spine. The first week of training in Gold Coast had come and gone in a flash. It had been intense, long days, lots of weightlifting, stretching, shooting and recovery. Wash, rinse, and repeat. But finally, he had the day off, his first since they landed in Australia nearly a week ago. But that begged the same question every day off did, what to do to occupy his time? He could go to the beach, have some fun in the sand and surf. Try hot to get a sunburn, but that was always easier said than done. Maybe see if anyone from the team wanted to come, play little volleyball, or something. He pulled his phone off the charger and checked the time; it was just before nine in the morning. It was the latest he'd slept in since he couldn't even remember when. Jay was usually up with the sun, a holdover from his time in the army. But he also knew he was alone in that habit. His teammates loved to sleep in where ever they could. He would message them in their group chat, he decided, but after a leisurely breakfast.

He got off the bed, grabbed a change of clothes and wondered if he'd see Hailey down in the cafeteria. They had run into each other a few times since they arrived, in the restaurant, the gym, the hall, but they hadn't really had a chance to chat. One of them always coming while the other was going. Maybe instead of the beach, he'd go and see what Will was up to, hang out with his brother and the divers for the day. He'd never actually watched much of the sport before; it'd be a perfect opportunity to learn.

Jay pulled open his door and took a quick step back. His coach, Maggie Lockwood, was there, her fist raised about to knock. "Hey Jay," the older woman shook off her shock first. "You got plans for the day?"

"I was thinking of seeing what my brother was up to," he stepped into the hall. "Then maybe hit up Broadbeach or something, why what's up? You cancelling our day off?"

"No," she dismissed. "It's a day off for me too, remember. But we did get an interview request from the Chicago Dailey Press. They want to interview you and another Chicago athlete who's here. They're doing profiles and interviews on local Olympians. You interested?"

"Okay," he shrugged. Press wasn't his favourite thing, but for his city, he could suck it up and deal. "I can do that."

"Perfect," Maggie squeezed his shoulder. "Be at the business centre at eleven o'clock, okay?. Meeting room three."

"I'll be there."

"Good," she nodded and started down the hall. "Thanks, Jay."

"No problem," he called to her retreating back, before continuing on his way to get food.

He loaded his plate with some pancakes and sausages and grabbed the biggest cup of coffee he could. Usually, he tried to eat a little more balanced for breakfast, with some eggs on toast or oatmeal alongside some fruit. But, if he had to suffer through the press, he was going to treat himself beforehand. After breakfast, Jay headed back to his room to shower and change into something better than the gym shorts and a muscle tee he'd first pulled on. Then he caught up with a few texts and emails that had piled up, thumbed through his training journal to see where his focus needed to be for the next day until finally, it was time to head out.

"Hey you," a friendly voice reached his ears as he got into the elevator. Jay looked up to see Hailey leaning against the far wall, grinning at him.

"Hi," he smiled. "What's up?"

"Not much. I got an interview with the Chicago Dailey Press," the blonde shrugged. "You the other local athlete they're after?"

"I am," Jay nodded. "I didn't know you were from Chicago."

"Proud North-sider."

"Man, don't tell me you're a Cubs fan," Jay groaned dramatically.

"Sorry," Hailey shrugged. "But if it helps, I'm _way_ more into hockey than I am baseball."

"I don't know if I can do this," Jay shook his head. "I mean, I'm from Canaryville, that is die-hard Sox territory. Interviewing with a Cubs fan, that could get me kicked out."

"They are a tightknit group down there, I've heard," she teased back.

"Will," he guessed.

"Yup," Hailey popped the 'p' as the elevator came to a halt. "We commiserate together over missing the wind and the criminal lack of deep-dish pizza options on the road."

"Don't let him try and fool you," Jay cautioned. "He went to school in New York. He actually says he misses thin crust from time to time."

" _The blasphemy_ ," Hailey gasped. "I mean, I'll give you tavern-style on occasion, but anything else is like tomato soup on a cracker."

"So how's training going?" he changed the topic as they wound their way through the halls to the business room and settled into the chairs. 

"Pretty good," she offered. "A bit more intense than usual, but given what it's for, I'm not going to complain."

"Is your coach ever not intense?" Jay quirked an eyebrow. "Seriously, we've been here over a week, and I don't think seen him smile once."

"He's not _that bad_ ," the diver defended. "Voight's been my coach since I was a kid. You get used to the stone face. It's just his default."

"I'll take your word for it."

There was a knock on the door, and a man stuck his head in. They both sat up a little straighter. "Jay Halstead and Hailey Upton?" the man asked; he looked familiar.

"That's us," Hailey confirmed while Jay nodded. 

"Great," the man's face lit up. "Walked into the wrong room twice already, I'm -"

"Randall McHolland," they said together. He was a little older, a little plumper, but there was no mistaking that smile.

The man flushed and nodded. "I am."

Jay was a little starstruck. Randall McHolland was a Greco-Roman wrestler who won the gold medal and set an Olympic record at the 1988 Olympics. Jay was only two years old at the time, but his dad had been a huge fan. Mr McHolland was a hometown hero. He went around to schools all over the city as a guest speaker for years, talking bout his experience at the Olympics, encouraging fair play and stressing the importance of sportsmanship in competition. He always had a smile on his face and never turned away a curious kid who asked to see his medal. One of Jay's most prized possessions was a photo of himself at six years old, sitting on a kneeling Randall's lap, the man's gold medal around his little neck. He had found it amongst his father's thing when he and Will cleaned out his apartment after he passed away. It sat in a frame on his bookshelf, his apartment now.

"You a legend," Jay breathed.

Hailey went a different way. "You married Trudy Platt, right?"

If it was at all possible, the older man's grin widened. "I did." 

"She's amazing," Hailey gushed as Jay looked on confused. "She's probably my favourite diver ever. I wish I could land 5253c as cleanly as she could. She pretty much invented the move."

"Well, I'll be sure to pass that along," the man promised. "Are you guys both okay if I record this?"

"Yes, of course," Hailey nodded.

"Sure," Jay put in, suddenly much more excited by this interview.

He took a minute to ready the recorder and sat back with his notebook. "Well, first and foremost, congratulations to you both. Making an Olympic team is an incredible achievement. If I'm not mistaken, this the first Olympics for the two of you."

"Yes," Jay nodded, and Hailey said the same.

"How are you feeling?"

"Wonderstruck," Hailey started. "It almost doesn't seem real in some ways."

"Yeah," Jay continued. "You know, you try and treat it like it's any other training camp, any other competition, but at the same time, you know it isn't. The Olympic Games is the highest stage there is. Even for the pros in basketball and baseball, it's different. It's special. You try not to let that get to you, add too much extra pressure, but…"

"That's easier said than done," Hailey finished.

"Definitely."

"I know better than to ask how you feel about your chances. I always hated that question," the older man chuckled. "So instead, I'll ask, how are preparations going?"

"So far, so good," Jay started. "It's nice to have all the equipment we're using for the games, now. The archery team has special made risers and sights in the red, white and blue, and sometimes new equipment can trip you up. Even if it's identical to what you use all the time, it can take a bit to get a feel for it. So it's nice to sort that out before the Games start."

"Hailey," Randall looked at her. "How about you?"

"Well, other than suits, diving, thankfully, doesn't have really have equipment issues to sort out," she chuckled. "But it's been a while since we've done in an open-air facility, so it's nice that we can that dialled in before we hit it at the Olympics."

"Which do you prefer, diving inside or out?"

"Inside," Hailey responded quickly. "Diving outside can be a lot of fun, but only if the weather co-operates. If it's raining or windy or even too bright, it can really throw you off."

"What about you, Jay?" the man turned to him. "Archery has an indoor and an outdoor season, correct?"

"It does. During the indoor season, we shoot at eighteen metres, or about twenty yards, at tiny targets," Jay explained. "But I like outdoor a lot better, I like the longer range, and the potential for elements just add to the challenge. Plus, I think it's fun to shoot in the rain."

All three of them chuckled.

"Now, moving onto the local side of things, Jay, you're from Canaryville, right?"

"I am," the archer confirmed and shot Hailey a smirk. "Born and raised."

"Where did you go to school?"

"My older brother and I both got scholarships to the De La Salle Institute," Jay answered.

"And from there, you went into the military," Randall looked at his notes. "Are you a reservist now?"

"No," he shook his head. "I mean, yes, I joined the army right out of high school. I did two tours in Afghanistan before being discharged. But no, I'm not in the reserves; life has pretty much all about archery since I got out."

He could feel Hailey's eyes on him, but luckily for him, Randall moved on. "And Hailey, you're from Greektown?"

"That's right," Jay saw her head snap back, returning her attention to the former Olympic Champion. "My family and I moved there from Lake Forest when I was eleven to run a restaurant."

"And you're a graduate of my alma mater, CCU," the man smiled. "Go, Falcons. What did you study?"

"Criminal Justice, with a minor in Kinesiology."

"Do you have any plans to continue in either of those fields post-Olympics?" He asked.

"I'm not sure, to be honest," the blonde chuckled. "I try not to think too far ahead on that kind of thing. Not in a definitive way, at least. Going to law school, or getting into social work, even becoming a physical therapist, they're all things I've thought about in passing. But honestly, for now, it's all about diving. I have that degree, and that's great, but I still have a lot I want to achieve in the sport."

"Always a good plan," Randall acknowledged and scanned his notes again. "Now, you both have generously given away your family tickets to other athletes. None of your families could make the trip?"

"My brother's here," Jay corrected. "But he didn't need a ticket. Will's here with the diver's actually, as their team doctor. We probably won't get to see each other much during the Games, but it is nice to know that he's gonna be there."

"And we love him," Hailey offered. "Best team doctor we've ever had."

"How much did he pay you to say that?" Jay joked, and they all laughed.

"What about your family Hailey?"

"You know it can be difficult with the Games starting so late in the year. People have jobs and school, and then with how far away we are from the States, it's a lot to ask for those things to accommodate," she replied.

"And neither of you have a significant other that could make it?"

"No," Jay tried not to laugh. "Not for me, anyway. Being an athlete can be a bit of a lonely road. You have your teammates, your coach, and people who support you, of course. But it's hard to find someone who understands our commitment to our sports, the drive and dedication we have. And who's willing to up with our hectic schedules." 

"Same for me," Hailey agreed, much to Jay's surprise. "I have so much respect for the athletes who can do it all—the training, travelling, and everything that comes with it and hold down a relationship. Even have families. I wish I had that kind of work/life balance. So I'm glad that my tickets went to those who do. That way, they can have all of their support networks here. I don't know how some people made that choice about who to bring. It's way too much pressure."

"Moving onto the Games themselves," Randall continued. "What are you most looking forward to?"

"The sun?" Jay joked. "Isn't it snowing already in Chicago?"

"I swear there was frost on my windows the morning I left to come here," Hailey added.

"Jokes aside," Jay went on. "I'm just really looking forward to the chance to compete. If that comes with some hardware, then great because that's the ultimate dream. But to just stand on that Olympic field, it's not something all people, all athletes even, get to do. So I think that'll make it all worthwhile."

"I agree," Hailey nodded. "But I'm also looking forward to getting out there and see other events. I have some friends competing in other sports, I rarely get to see them in their elements because of our schedules, so I'd love to be able to get out there and support them."

"Alright, guys," Randall smiled at them both. "That's all the questions I've got for ya. A little advice?"

"Please," Jay nodded.

Hailey sat up straighter. "Absolutely."

"Do your best. Your best and no one else's. Don't let the things that are out of your control, control you," Randall smiled. "You're not here by mistake or luck. You know your skills, what you're capable of. Focus on that. Everything else it's just noise. And most important, don't forget to have fun. The Olympics, they happen every four years, but these ones, they will never happen again. This time. This place. Your teams. They are all unique to here and now. So enjoy it. Bask in it. And you'll do great."

"Thank you, sir," Jay shook the former Olympian's hand and got to his feet.

"Call me, Mouch."

"Mouch," Hailey stood up too. "It was great to meet you."

"I'll see you again, I'm sure," Mouch grinned. "And good luck."

They both watched as the man gathered his things and shot them a wink as he left the room. Jay turned to Hailey. "That was Randall McHolland."

"It was," the blonde laughed and pushed her chair back in. "He come to your school too?"

"Yeah, a few times."

"You a wrestling fan?" she asked.

"My dad was," Jay offered. "He'd have been so jealous. Or dumbstruck, one or the other. Anyway, you got plans for the rest of the day?"

"Nah," Hailey denied. "It's my day off, so I was planning on being lazy. You?"

"I was thinking of hitting the beach," Jay held the door open for her. "Try not to roast under the sun."

Hailey laughed. "Want a beach buddy?"

"Meet in the lobby in twenty?"

"I'll be there," the blonde hit the button for the elevator. 

Jay got downstairs first but not by much. He was decked out in some board shorts, a tank top and a backpack. "Hey Halstead," he turned at the sound of his name. "Think fast."

Jay caught what Hailey had tossed to him. It was a tube of sunscreen, SPF seventy-five. He shook his head and held it up. "You know anything over fifty is a rip, off right?"

"Sure, you're willing to risk that?" she teased. "Or are you just hoping that your freckles will merge together?"

"Hilarious," he rolled his eyes. "Sorry, we don't all have naturally sun-kissed skin." 

"Guess it's one of the cases where it pays to be Greek and not Irish," Hailey shrugged. "That and the food."

Jay laughed but tucked the lotion in his bag anyway. You could never have enough sunscreen, at least if you were him. "So, can I ask you about something that came up during the interview?"

"Sure," she agreed hesitantly.

"You said you were single," Jay tried to be as casual as he could. "I thought you were dating that rugby guy?"

"What, Kevin?" she looked up at him, bewildered.

"Yeah."

"No," Hailey shook head vehemently. "Never. I mean, I love him. But no. Kevin's my best friend. He has been since we were fourteen. Him and his siblings, they're family."

"Oh," Jay nodded, not sure what else to say.

"All the hugging at the photoshoot, that was just...I hadn't seen him in like three months," she explained. "And he gives the best hugs."

"I'll take your word for it," Jay said.

"Trust me, hang around me long enough, and you'll experience it too. We're a package deal," Hailey told him. "What about you, no girlfriend? Or boyfriend?"

"No, girlfriend," he answered her unasked question.

"So there's no one who'll misinterpret me asking if you want to join me at dinner tonight?" she smiled. "Or do you archers always have to eat together?"

"I don't know," Jay sucked in a breath. "I could catch a lot of flack if I slum it with the divers."

"Jerk," Hailey gave him another playful shove, then looped her arm through his, dragging him through the lobby. "Come on, let's get to the beach. I got a bet with Will going that you'll turn into a lobster in less than thirty. And I wanna collect."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading.
> 
> Notes:
> 
> I fall into the minority I know, but deep-dish ALL the way. I like food that's actually filling and I've been hungry after devouring an extra-large thin crust to myself, so yeah. 
> 
> I just plucked the Falcons as the for the CCU sports team because I can't remember them mentioning one, but If anyone knows different let me know and I'll make the change.
> 
> Diving translation: a 5253c is a back2 1/2 somersaults 1 1/2 twist in the tuck position. I'll talk more about this later as it comes up in future chapters.


	4. Day -4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Chicago PD (and the others) are back. How's everyone feeling? You ready? I think it's gonna be a pretty intense episode, but I'm more than ready to see Kevin(and Laroyce) back at centre stage. Anyway here is the next chapter, once I get a bit more of a cushion written, look out for twice a week postings. Enjoy, and check out the notes section below for some notes on things mentioned in the chapter.

Hailey closed the zipper on her suitcase and started on her sweep around the room, checking the closet, the drawers and under the bed to make sure she hadn't missed anything. They were leaving the next morning for the Olympic Village, and she wanted to avoid the last-minute scramble to pack after breakfast if she could. They still had a training session left that afternoon and one last night to get through, but the blonde was confident that everything that could be packed away was. The rest could be chucked into her backpack in the morning before they loaded onto the bus. She felt a flutter in her stomach, of nerves, excitement, dread, a whole melting pot of emotions. Staying organized helped Hailey sort all of that out. She was just about to start her check in the bathroom when someone knocked on her door. "It's open."

"Hey, Girl," a familiar curly raven head popped in. It was Stella Kidd, her synchro partner for the last three years.

"Hey Stell," Hailey grabbed her training bag. "Ready?"

"Slight change of plans," the other woman informed her as she stepped into the hallway. "Someone spilt some kinda oil or something in the gym, created a huge mess. And they're havin' a time cleaning it up. So practice is moving outside. The archery team gave us some space on the field behind them, so we gotta drag out the crash mats. Wanna give me a hand?"

"Don't they need the full range?" Hailey asked. She'd seen them practising a few times throughout the two weeks they'd all been there. Usually, on her way to or from the pool or gym. They always stood pretty near the back of the field. There wouldn't be a whole lot of room behind them for the mats.

"Their coach told Voight something about working at a closer distance today; I don't know why, circuses and monkeys and all that," Stella shrugged. "All that matters is we got the space we need, and it doesn't seem to affect them and their practice."

"Alright," Hailey tied her hair up in a ponytail. "Let's get too it then. Can't let Ethan and Ritter do all the work; they'd never stop let us forget it if we did."

It wound up being a pretty fun practice though Voight had put them through their paces on the warm-up. The man decided to bring out some hurdles and led them through a pretty intense cardio workout to start the session. But once they hit the mats, it was all about having some fun. It wasn't without purpose, of course, they were able to work on their spotting, and the soft, squishy surface of the thick matt helped work on their leg stability. But as they worked their way through some flips, in tuck position and pike, forward and back, it became a sort of competition. Who could flip the fastest? Her. Who could get the highest? Stella. Who could land a double? Darren, who's momentum launched him forward, and he nearly broke his neck. Voight put his foot down before they could try the same thing in any other formation. Instead, they tried to see who could do the most back pikes in a row before they tapped out, missed a landing or lost their balance. Ethan kicked all their butts, beating Hailey's second-place by nine flips. 

Sipping on her water Hailey couldn't stop her eyes from wandering further up the field, where the six Team USA archers stood in side-profile to her. It surprised her how close they were to their targets, barely standing more than five yards back. She wasn't sure what they could be gaining from their practice standing that far up, but they hadn't stopped shooting in the hour or so they'd all been out there. She caught sight of Jay and watched as he readied himself to shoot. Straightening his stance, raising the bow, drawing the string and setting his shoulders. She could see his arm flex under the tension. 

"Hailey, you stare at that boy any harder, and you're gonna set him on fire," Stella teased from behind her. 

"What?" She snapped back to reality.

The brunette laughed. "You know, you could just go and talk to the man instead of staring at him like he's water in the middle of the desert."

"I'm not staring," Hailey denied. "I'm just…curious."

"I don't blame you," Stella hooked her chin over the blonde's shoulder. "If I weren't with Kelly, I'd be pretty curious too."

Hailey sprayed her water bottle into her partners face. "About archery."

"Sure," Stella wiped her face on Hailey's shoulder.

"I'm serious," the blonde argued. "I've never really seen it outside of movies or TV and stuff."

"Uh-huh," Stella started. "So if I went down there and -"

"Alright," Voight's gravelly voice cut off whatever Stella was going to say. "Back to work."

"Saved by the bell, Upton," Stella detangled herself from her friend, and the pair scrambled back up onto the mat with the boys.

By the time they broke for lunch, Hailey was starving. She snagged herself a tuna and chickpea pita and grabbed a table for her and Stella. She just tucked into her food when the brunette sat down, a mischievous smirk on her face. "What?" Hailey frowned at her. She both loved and hated that smile.

"Hey Halstead," Stella called over Hailey's shoulder and kicked out the chair beside her. "Come join us."

Hailey looked over her shoulder, praying to see Will walking towards them, but no such luck. "Hey," Jay set down his food and took the kicked out seat beside the blonde. "What's going on?"

"Nothing much," Hailey shrugged and pointed across the table to her dive partner. "Jay, this is my synchro partner Stella Kidd. Stella, this is Jay Halstead, Will's little brother."

"Good to meet ya," the brunette smiled. "Thanks for letting us use part of your field today."

"No problem," the archer dismissed. "Maggie was making us blind shoot today anyway, so it's really no big deal."

"Blind shoot?" Hailey quirked an eyebrow. "Like shooting with your eyes closed?"

"It's not as stupid an idea as it sounds," he assured. "It's a focus technique."

"You should tell Hailey all about it," Stella said slyly. "She's been really interested in archery lately."

Hailey kicked her under the table, but Jay smirked. "Oh yeah?"

"What can I say? Watching Arrow on the way over here made me curious."

Jay shook his head. "You guys busy after lunch? I'm sure I can scrounge up a couple of bows if you want to give it a try."

"That'd be great, but I have a physio session that I can't miss," Stella mused. "However, Hailey doesn't have any plans. Miss Hyper-Organized over there is already packed and ready for the morning. So she's free."

"I'm confused," Hailey gave Stella a look. "Are you my synchro partner or my social secretary?" 

"You'd have to have a social life for me to be that," Stella shot back and picked up her empty plate. "Thanks for the offer, Jay. I'm sure I'll see you later."

"Nice to meet you," he called over his shoulder as Stella walked away, then turned back to Hailey. "She always like that?"

"Always," Hailey chuckled. But she wouldn't be Stella if she wasn't and Hailey wouldn't have her any other way.

"So?" Jay asked. "You want to learn how to shoot a bow?"

"Sure," Hailey nodded. "Why not?"

Jay had her meet him back out on the field thirty minutes later. He kitted her out in some safety gear. Then he tested her eye dominance; she was a lefty, both handed and a shooter apparently. Then Jay showed her how to hold the bow and position her fingers on the string. He nocked an arrow for her and watched as she drew back to her face. "That's it," Jay encouraged. "Keep your bow arm straight. Draw your other hand back and let it rest under your jaw, and try and bring the string all the way back to touch your nose."

Hailey followed what he said, took her shot, and watched as the arrow sailed well over the target Jay had pulled up. "Try not pointing the arrow tip where you want it to land," he advised. "Look where you want it to go and ignore the rest for now. If you find they're going to high, then you make the conscious effort to drop the tip down a bit. If they're going to low-"

"Aim higher," she guessed.

"Exactly."

She took a breath and drew back the next arrow. She stared at the bright yellow rings and let her fingers slip off the string. This time the arrow landed in the blue. "Much better," Jay smiled. "Keep going."

Hailey smiled at him and loaded the bow again. "So, how did you get into all this anyway?"

"Will told you on the plane, I had a huge Robin hood phase as a kid," he shrugged. "Guess I never grew out of it."

"And that's it?" 

"That's it," he grabbed up his own bow, and she watched as he took a shot. The arrow sailed the whole way down the field and buried itself in the middlemost yellow ring.

"Show off," Hailey returned her attention to her own target. She didn't know how she knew it, but she could tell he was holding back. But Hailey didn't want to press; they hardly knew each other after all. She didn't think he was lying per se, but there was definitely more to the story than a childhood obsession.

"What about you?" Jay asked, watching as she tried not let her arms shake under the tension of the bow. "You ever go through an archery phase when you were little? Or was it always about diving for you?"

"Eh," she thought. "Maybe a little? I always like the stories about Artemis best when I was a kid."

"The goddess or the superhero?"

"The goddess," she confirmed. "Goddess of the hunt, the wilderness and the moon. My mom had this book full of watered-down Greek Myths for kids. She'd read it to me every night. I think I made her tell me the one about Artemis and Orion at least once a month."

"What about diving," Jay continued as he took another shot. "How did you get into that?"

"It's not that interesting of a story," she shrugged. "It was during the Atlanta Olympics, I was six and I saw the ten-metre semis on TV. I thought it was the coolest thing; the divers looked like they were flying. I asked about it every day for weeks after that, and my mom signed me up for lessons at the CCU dive club that fall. Never looked back."

They continued chatting and shooting for about an hour; Hailey even managed to hit the yellow a handful of times. By the end of it, her shoulders and neck were getting a bit tight, but overall she felt good. It was nice to change it up and have a good break from the magnitude of what was coming up in the next few days. 

"Thanks again for showing me," Hailey stretched out her sore muscles as Jay broke down the bows. "This was fun."

"No problem," he nodded. "Any time."

"Oh no," Hailey shook her head with a smirk. "I think it's my turn next time. What do you say? Think we can get you up on a diving board? Maybe even get you off the ten-metre?"

"So long as I don't have to wear the Speedo, I'm down," Jay zipped up the bow bag and shouldered it.

"Oh, you have to wear the trunks," she insisted. "It's non-optional."

"No way," Jay started back to the main building.

"It's a safety thing," she fibbed a bit. "You'll be fine."

"Not happening."

"Please," she begged and trailed after him, laughing as his face flushed red. Jay continued to deny as they made their way up to their rooms, but Hailey wasn't going to give up. She'd get him on that board and into that suit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> So Stella is also a diver and is partnered up with Hailey on the 3m springboard. I love this pairing; I _need_ more scenes of them together. I don't watch Fire a lot, but I do love Stella Kidd. 
> 
> Blind shooting is a thing, and it's not as dangerous or as stupid as it sounds. You're usually really, really close to the target, like a metre or two back, and it's basically to help self-identify issues. It takes away the focus and worry of where your arrows are going, your score, the need to split your focus on aiming and allows you to really get into what your body is doing, how it's feeling, how you're moving and if anything feels off. It's also used for the same reasons when learning a new skill or changing your form.
> 
> Archery works on eye dominance. If you ever try it, please test your eye dominance. You want your dominant eye back doing the aiming. Usually, this falls in a line (e.g. if you're right-handed, you're right eye dominant) but not always. Being cross-eye dominant is a growing thing as we're placing more importance on getting people shooting on the proper side. It's way easier to retrain your arm if you fall into the cross-eye dominant crowd than it is to retrain your eye(which you can't; you'll gain accuracy by volume, not actual accuracy).
> 
> I know we all have different theories as to when Hailey is born (and Jay). I'm going with 1990 and 1986 respectively. Honestly, and I don't know why, but I headcanon that Hailey was born on St. Patrick's Day; it's just the first date that popped into my head when I asked myself, 'when was she born'.
> 
> The trunks (Speedos) that male divers where are optional on a fun level. But 1) you can’t tell me that Hailey isn’t going to do everything she can to get Jay in a pair of them, and 2) it actually _is_ a bit of a safety thing. Especially off the 10m platform. Let's just say that when you are falling about 55kph (35mph), guys, we want things contained. Boardies don’t provide that.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like my choice of sports for the characters so far. Part of why I chose Archery and Diving is because I know both those sports pretty well; I dove when I was a kid, I have family members who are still very competitive in the sport today, so I'm around it a lot. I myself switched from diving to archery; I'm still a competitive archer (compound) to this day and even coach as a bit of a side job when I'm not on shift. The other reason is that I can just see it for both of them, especially Hailey and Diving. You'll see what sports the rest of the team and OC characters fall into as they appear; I'm gonna try and keep all that as surprises for now, though. Let me know what you think. What sports would you have picked for the characters? As always, thanks for reading.
> 
> Also, the story about the food fight may or may not be based on real events.


End file.
